Matthieu Vaxiviere is back on form for pole position at Silverstone after a last-minute qualifier at the fifth round of the Formula V8 3.5 championship at the British circuit.

Often lapping outside the top three for most of the session, the Frenchman - a runner-up in the series last year - qualified with a fastest lap of 1m 40.586s, over two tenths-of-a-second faster than the improving Russian Egor Orudzhev. Currently sixth in championship, this pole position signals a return to form for the youngster.

Vaxiviere's fastest rotation of the circuit occurred in the final few minutes, displacing long-time leader and Friday's dominant force Roy Nissany to third. Meanwhile, championship leader Tom Dillmann will be looking for his seventh podium of the season when he starts from fourth for this afternoon's race.

The first driver outside the 1m 40s mark was the fastest of the four rookies in qualifying, Louis Deletraz, who takes fifth with team mate Aurelien Panis joining him on the third row.

Rene Binder was unable to improve his lap times in the final moments and settles for seventh while Pietro Fittipaldi, Yu Kanamaru and Alfonso Celis Jr completed the top ten.

FV8 running continues at 13:05 local time with a back on form Vaxiviere on pole, one year after Tio Ellinas and Oliver Rowland won at the famous British circuit.